ONE of Europe's leading scientists has declared that the controversial landfill tip proposed for Haslington would not harm the health of local residents.

Professor Jim Bridges, an expert in toxicology and environmental health, has completed an independent investigation into Waste Recycling Group's (WRG) scheme for a £25m landfill dump, clay quarry and recycling facility on land at Clayhanger Farm.

He looked at possible emissions from the landfill and composting operation. He concluded: 'The operation of the proposed Clay-hanger waste management facility will not result in emissions that would have an adverse effect on the health of the local community.'

Furious residents have formed an action group to combat the scheme and have been protesting against it for months.

But WRG spokeswoman Fiona MacIntosh is hopeful that the report by Professor Bridges, who is chairman of the EU scientific advisory committee on toxicology, eco-toxicology and the environment, will put people's minds at rest.

'We really hope that this report will give local people some confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously and that the facility proposed to deal with local rubbish can do so safely.

'Getting this report done is not something we were asked to do. But it is an important issue for local people and we felt it important to address it properly.

'Rubbish is everybody's problem and we think the proposals for Clayhanger could be a good and safe solution to meeting Cheshire's needs in the future.'

WRG has earmarked the 127-acre site in a bid to help meet the county's need for more landfill sites.

Currently, Cheshire relies on three principal sites for household rubbish, all of which are running out of space. The Maw Green site at Crewe will be full by 2009.

Miss MacIntosh said: 'People understandably worry about something new and unknown in their area. But the challenge is to seek the best way of managing the rubbish that we all produce.

'The average household in Cheshire puts more than a tonne of rubbish in its bin every year, yet people don't want to think about where it all goes.

'There is no reason why the general public would understand the degree to which waste management facilities are very care-fully controlled, planned and engineered these days.

'This facility, and any like this, has to go through two separate stages before it can be run. We have to get planning permission from Cheshire County Council, and get a licence from the Environment Agency to operate the site.

'Getting the licence, in some respects, is an even more detailed process than getting planning permission. It looks at every technical aspect of the operation of the facility, and any potential impact on people in its environment.

'We don't set out to try to change people's minds. The vast raft of information we put out is to try to answer their concerns.'